Time Management & Self-Care

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Note: this page is in progress. If you have suggestions for it, please email the Librarian.
See also: Writing Resources - the workflow tab links focus tools. 

• Set up for Success
• Space to Focus 
• Time Managment
• Self-Care
• Books

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Finding time and space to study when your life is full

Embarking in a PsyD program is a brave endeavor that requires dedicating time, space, and energy to complete, and will inevitably intrude into the previous norms of everyday life.

Where you study and the tools you use should enhance rather than impede the study experience. Organizing your resources can make study time more focused and productive. Even if you aren't able to have a space solely dedicated to study, having a single bag/space where your resources are stored can facilitate quick deployment for study breaks.

Physical Spaces

What surrounds you impacts you.

• https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Study-Space
  • Even if temporary, make the space yours, and make it dedicated to the task at hand.
• Comfort decorating your home - a 20 minute listen from Life Kit.
  • Different people find different things a comfort depending on their life experiences, but in general:
    • Have something that invokes nature in easy visual range. A picture of nature or an actual plant, or a view of plants, has proven psychological effect.
    • Green tends to spark creativity.
    • Beware of too much Red (anxiety), and Blue (sleep).
• How to work outdoors - several articles with tips.
  • https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/working-outside-tips-36907328
  • https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/work-outdoor-office/
• Tips for minimizing distractions when they live with you.
  • Let your family and friends know when you have designated a time and space for studying, and enforce them. Having a fixed, finite schedule can help, even with pets. Putting them on the calendar can help you both track and enforce your own study schedule.
  • Use noise cancelling headphones so that others can share the space without distracting you.
  • Turn off alerts (turn on do not disturb) for your finite study period. Most do not disturb settings will alert you if  the same number calls twice in a row (check).

Virtual spaces

Organize your computer to make working on it flow more easily by optomizing the settings and setup to reduce strain, installing or using apps designed for note taking, and organizing your desktop and browsers to make studying easier, such as having a bookmark folder just for school and all its resources.

• https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/remote-resource-center/get-computer-ready-for-school
• https://lifeyourway.net/ten-ways-to-customize-your-pc-setup-for-studying/​
• https://www.vistacollege.edu/blog/resources/25-ergonomic-tips-when-working-at-a-computer/
  

Classroom spaces

Either virtual and in-person, your time in class is a valuable tool, but takes endurance. Our bodies are not meant to be still for long.

• Eyes - move your gaze to focus on different points in the room or through the windows, both near and far. Make sure to actively change focus and focal distance regularly, and to blink.
• Body - Shift positions, tighten and release muscle groups, do things to make sure your circulation keeps pumping and you won't stiffen up in one spot.
  • At the table:
    • Discreet Exercises You Can Do At Your Desk (Seriously!)
    • Top 15 Top-Secret Exercises to Try at Your Desk Without Attracting Attention (warning spread over three pages with lots of ads, but a good list).
    • Office Exercises You Can Do In Secret. (Video) Watch more Bob & Brad videos for other excellent posture tips.
  • While on break go for brief walks (even around the room) or do more extensive stretching or other movement.
• Breathing - deep breaths rush oxygen to your brain. Be aware of your breathing, especially if it gets shallow, as that can tax energy and stamina.

Time Boxing (Pomodoro)

• Timeboxing: You Will Work Like Never Before
• Francesco Cirrillo's Pomodoro site, with basic instructions on the technique.
• Marinara Timer: Free, web-based Pomodoro timer. (http://www.marinaratimer.com/) 

​CAlEndars and scheduling

Make sure to schedule the time you need to study into your week, as well as the time you need to take care of yourself. 

• Curated selections from this gradschoolcenter.com article and this petersons.com article forthcoming.

Task & Time Audits

Find time by removing and reprioritizing tasks that don't serve your current needs.

• Lucidchart time audit instructions and templates
• RescueTime time audit instructions and tools

Self-Care is healing and renewing

Unlike how it is popularized in media, actual self-care is doing things for yourself that support the healthiest version of you, with the least burnout. Eating a balanced diet, exercising, making sure to take meds, spending time with people who love, support and listen to you, taking nature breaks, meditating, pausing to take a few deep breaths, and therapy can all be part of a self-care routine.
 
You know yourself best, so make sure to take care of yourself in the most effective manner.

Book Recommendations

Bestselling novelist Steven Pressfield identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success. The War of Art emphasizes the resolve needed to recognize and overcome the obstacles of ambition and then effectively shows how to reach the highest level of creative discipline. Think of it as tough love . . . for yourself. Whether an artist, writer or business person, this simple, personal, and no-nonsense book will inspire you to seize the potential of your life.

Francesco Cirillo’s The Pomodoro Technique is the world renowned system for improving productivity that has been in use the world over, and adapted by countless others, since 1999. Cirillo first developed his system for improving productivity while a university student in Italy in the early 1990s. By using a kitchen timer in the shape of a pomodoro (Italian for tomato), Cirillo was able to concentrate the amount of time he spent working on a project into 25 minute intervals, with short 5 minute breaks, to get more done. Each pomodoro, or 25 minute work interval, is performed without interruptions; by grouping 3 to 4 pomodoros in a row, users can vastly improve their productivity, enhance their focus, and better achieve their goal. For other resources, also see Francesco Cirillo's Pomodoro Technique Website.

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